Waste Management (NYSE:WM) CEO James Fish, Jr. Sells 5,706 Shares of Stock

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) CEO James Fish, Jr. sold 5,706 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.87, for a total transaction of $1,317,344.22. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 220,087 shares in the company, valued at $50,811,485.69. The trade was a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Waste Management Stock Up 0.6%

Waste Management stock opened at $231.79 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.80. Waste Management, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $194.11 and a fifty-two week high of $242.58. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $220.83 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $219.15. The firm has a market cap of $93.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.60, a P/E/G ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.58.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The business services provider reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.95 by ($0.02). Waste Management had a net margin of 10.74% and a return on equity of 32.45%. The business had revenue of $6.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.39 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.70 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Waste Management Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 5th were given a $0.825 dividend. This represents a $3.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 5th. Waste Management’s payout ratio is currently 49.25%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WM. Cibc World Market Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 11.5% in the 4th quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 234,306 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $51,479,000 after purchasing an additional 24,254 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 109.9% during the fourth quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,078 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $457,000 after buying an additional 1,088 shares in the last quarter. Lido Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Waste Management by 11.7% in the fourth quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 26,350 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $5,811,000 after acquiring an additional 2,765 shares during the last quarter. Avestar Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Avestar Capital LLC now owns 4,431 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $974,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Shepherd Street Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Waste Management during the 4th quarter worth approximately $212,000. 80.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on WM. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Waste Management from $232.00 to $230.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Weiss Ratings raised Waste Management from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday. Scotiabank reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $250.00 price target (down previously from $254.00) on shares of Waste Management in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Truist Financial set a $260.00 price objective on Waste Management in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their target price on Waste Management from $263.00 to $264.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $253.55.

Trending Headlines about Waste Management

Here are the key news stories impacting Waste Management this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly positive on WM, citing steady operations and durable cash flow that support the stock’s premium valuation; analyst sentiment likely helped buy-side interest today. Waste Management Stock: Analyst Estimates & Ratings
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market/sector headlines (e.g., energy/midstream names) are active but not directly tied to WM’s fundamentals; these macro flows can move sentiment but aren’t a primary driver for Waste Management. Williams Companies Stock Climbs as Investors Focus on Gas Demand
• Negative Sentiment: CEO James C. Fish, Jr. disclosed multiple open-market sales this week totaling 36,753 shares (sales on Feb. 6, 9 and 10) for roughly $8.47M at ~ $230/share, reducing his stake materially in the largest single filing (an ~11.9% cut noted in one filing). Broader coverage also flags ~ $17M of insider selling at Waste Management, which can be interpreted by some investors as a cautionary signal. SEC filing: SEC Filing – Insider Sales — additional coverage: Waste Management Insiders Sell US$17m Of Stock

Waste Management Company Profile

Waste Management, Inc (NYSE: WM) is a leading provider of integrated waste management and environmental services in North America. The company offers end-to-end solutions that span collection, transfer, disposal and recycling, along with landfill operations and related infrastructure. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Waste Management serves a broad customer base that includes residential, commercial, industrial and municipal clients.

Core services include curbside and commercial waste collection, roll-off and temporary container services, materials recovery and recycling, and engineered landfill disposal.